Night After Night
by 808tenshi
Summary: NanoFate. AU. Because Nanoha as the "Bad Guy" and Fate in uniform is Win.


**Disclaimer: **I own the DVD sets. That's something, right?

**Un-beta-ed****: **Any errors--and there are probably a ton--are mine and mine alone.

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**Night After Night**

Barely visible in the cold night, a small puff of white air escaped parted lips as the wind whipped strands of hair across rose-hued cheeks. The solitary figure ran a slim-fingered hand over the cool stones that adorned her perch, while the other casually checked the ribbons that held her hair in place and secured her mask. Inhaling deeply, coral-colored lips curved into a light smile; her snugly-fitting outfit made barely a wisp of noise as she rose to her full height, silhouetting herself against the waning moon.

_Let the games being._

As if summoned by the young girl's thoughts, nearly half-a-dozen spotlights trained their beams upon the lithe figure and the silence that had previously engulfed the night, evaporated into the shouts of men and the buzz of equipment. As all eyes focused on her, the woman gave a half-salute, before dropping out of sight, into the building on which she'd previously stood.

"_Bravo Team_," Midnight-blue eyes sharpened as they meticulously tracked the mysterious girl's movements over the expanse of monitors spread before him, "_to point 3-C. Delta Team, 5-E. Everyone else, hold and maintain the perimeter_."

"_Roger_."

Tapping a gloved finger on the central screen, the blue-haired young man spoke without turning to the controls operator next to him.

"Do you think she'll really go for it?"

It was a question he already knew the answer to. For the past year, the criminal's M.O. had never changed.

One day, a note would appear, marking an object and providing a date--a taunt, a challenge to the officers of the city--and on that night, dressed in white, her face obscured by a mask, the woman that the media had dubbed "The White Devil," would appear to spirit it away. Whether the object of the White Devil's desire was in a private residence or in the National Museum, police around the country had failed to capture the elusive thief or keep her from her goal.

Though the public opinion of the thief wavered between disdain and adulation, the senior members if the Parliament had become increasingly incensed by the blatant failure of government trained and appointed officers to capture the delinquent. At wit's end, officials had enlisted the aid of private investors, organizing a squad of the nation's best and brightest mages, and equipping it's members with the latest in modern, military-grade technology.

The newly appointed Captain of the TSAB team, Chrono Harlaown, frowned at the screen as the thief-in-white disappeared into a blind spot.

"_Dammit, we've lost visual contact; all teams, stay on your toes_."

"_Say_," the soft voice echoed that over a direct communication line jolted the young man from his thoughts, "_don't you it's a bit weird for a thief to wear white?_"

"_Well, don't you think black's a little tacky?_" The brown-haired woman at Chrono's side chuckled. "_Every thief, save Robin Hood, wears black, right?_"

"_There's nothing tacky about black, but..._" The feminine voice argued back. "_Isn't white just a little too obvious? I mean_--"

The over-head lights in the tent flickered for a moment as a screech of electronic distortion ran through the lines.

"_Testarossa_!"

--

"_Chrono? Amy? Come in." _

Inside the building, Fate Testarossa frowned as her telepathic link with the base remained silent.

At the age of sixteen, one of the youngest in the squad, Fate was at the top of her class and gifted with extraordinary magical abilities. Scanning the spacious room, burgundy eyes came to rest on its illuminated centerpiece: a large gemstone that she'd been assigned to protect from the thief. To her, it wasn't anything special; it was nothing more than a piece of mindless, polished rock. But, she mused, a lot of things that humanity valued were nothing to her.

The heels of her shoes clicked over the tile flooring as Fate ran a thumb slowly over the smooth surface of her device, much like a person would a worry stone.

Nearing the rock, a small movement in the periphery of her vision raised the hair on the back of her neck and sent a spike of adrenaline through her blood. Fate inhaled slowly as her hand tightened over the small, piece of integrated technology and soul that she held in her hand. A rush of noise behind her, had her rolling away, narrowly avoiding the person who had emerged from the darkness.

Eyes cold and focused, Fate let out the breath that she'd taken not a moment ago:

"Bardiche, set up."

--

"What the hell is going on?" Chrono whirled on the officer. "Amy, get it working!"

Lines of text and codes streamed down the screen as fingers pounded rapidly on the keys, searching for a way to dispel the magical formula that was corrupting the camera system and which had created warped space around the building and it's occupants.

"We're being remotely jammed... Whoever's doing it is good." Eyes never leaving the screen, fingers never pausing, Amy muttered to herself. "They didn't say she had a partner, did they? There's no way she's the one keeping this up..."

Scrubbing a hand over his face, Chrono growled as he stared helplessly toward the building.

"It doesn't matter, give me something!"

--

Rising from her crouch, Fate eyed the smiling woman in white who stood before her. The blonde mage's black-clad body shifted to a defensive stance as her grip on her newly transformed weapon slowly unclenched, loosening into a hold more favorable for attack.

"My name is Officer Fate Testarossa." The blonde spoke clearly, enunciating as she'd been taught. "You are wanted in suspicion of connection to numerous unlawful acts, including but not limited to: assault, breaking and entering, destruction of property and theft. Please move forward slowly with your hands where I may see them."

The masked woman's lips quirked as she took a step forward, the light from the jewel case casting a soft shadow on over her face.

"Fate-_chan_, is it?" The White Devil's soft, flitting voice echoed in high-ceilinged room. "Aren't you a little old to be playing police?"

The blonde stiffed as her blood pressure spiked at the dual-offense.

"It's _Officer Testarossa_, to you. And why are you wearing a mask? Halloween is long over."

Unruffled, the brown-haired girl took another step forward, crossing her left foot behind her right as she slowly began to circle a tense Fate.

"But, I love Halloween. Ghost, goblins, tricks... Treats..." Her eyes twinkling through the slits in her mask, she moved again, slowly, crossing on foot behind the other as Fate slowly mirrored her move. "Besides, masks aren't all that odd; there's not one person in this world who leaves home without one."

"Enough." Thoroughly irked at the cat and mouse game the thief seemed content to play, Fate raised Bardiche, angling it toward the brunette's neck. "I have been authorized to use force to detain you if necessary. I'll ask you once more to comply and come peaceably."

"Ah, well, you see..." The White Devil's movement stopped, as her staff appeared in her hand. "As much as I'd love to, I can't do that just now, Fate-chan."

"Then I'll take you by force."

With lightening fast speed, Fate ran forward, slashing Bardiche downward at her opponent.

Skillfully jumping backwards, the young white mage swept her leg at an attempt to unbalance the charging girl. As was her goal, the brief disruption in the TSAB officer's momentum as she dodged, gave the thief an opportunity to disappear back into the shadows.

"There's no point in hiding!" Fate growled, squinting in the dark against the light glow that Bardiche and the case gave off.

"But," the sweet voiced echoed in the room, "I love hide-and-seek, don't you?"

Fate paused struggling to calm herself as she strained to follow the voice and the soft taps of her opponents feet on the cold floor.

_There._

Summoning her device induced speed, Fate dashed forward, satisfaction coursing through her as her fingers closed over the smooth, white material.

"Sorry." Smirking lips passed by her ear as Fate stumbled, her body not finding the resistance she expected to meet. "Raising Heart, Restrict Lock."

A startled gasp escaped Fate as glowing pink binds encircled the blonde mage, securing her.

"Y-you!" Fate stuttered at a loss for words, furious at how easily she'd been duped.

Grinning cockily, the White Mage plucked her "casual" jacket from the TSAB officer's hand--it was a cold night, she'd need the outer wear after she deactivated Raising Heart--not noticing the small slip of paper that fluttered to the floor.

"Well," plucking the jewel from it's place, the mage slipped it into her pocket with a satisfied smile to her opponent. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Fate-chan. We'll be seeing each other again soon, I'm sure."

"Don't you dare!" The blonde nearly spat the words in her irritation as she struggled fruitlessly against her restraints, growing more desperate as the brunette neared the window. "I'll catch you, no matter what!"

"Flier Fin."

Stepping on to the sill, the White Devil waved over her shoulder, and dropped out of sight. Helpless, Fate watched as the iridescent glow of the White Mage's wings faded, and eventually disappeared from sight entirely.

With the last visual trace of the thief, also came the dispersal of the magical barrier which had inhibited the team, as the communication lines buzzed back to life.

_"Testa... rossa... Testarossa, come in. Can you hear me?"_

Falling to her knees as the binds holding her disintegrated, Fate gritted her teeth, finding surprisingly, that she was fighting back the urge to scream.

_"I can hear you, Captain. I'm sorry... I failed, she got away."_

A sign of relief over the line.

_"No matter. It was partially our failure as well. We were ill prepared to deal with an accomplice. There'll be other opportunities."_

One hand fisted, Fate slowly reached out the other, taking hold of the small slip of paper that had fallen from the White Devil's jacket earlier. Her heart picked up as she slowly read over the note.

It wasn't the Devil herself, but it was a damned good place to start. With a silent vow not to be outdone so easily again, Fate stood--it was really sad for the infamous thief that something so simple would be her undoing--and a humorless smile curving her lips,

Yes, for the first and what was surely the last time, she and the White Devil agreed on something.

They'd be meeting a lot sooner than either of them expected.

--

"Hey, Nanoha-chan. Wake up." A hand shook her shoulder. "Gee, why are you always so tried?"

Rubbing her eyes, Takamachi Nanoha reluctantly raised her head from her desk as she turned to her friend.

"What is it, Hayate-chan? I was up late study--" Nanoha broke off in mid-sentence as Hayate pointed, with a giggle, to the front of the class.

"A new student."

Dumbfounded, Nanoha gaped at the uniformed girl who stood at the teacher's desk.

Scanning the various faces spread in front of her, Fate signed inwardly as she lowed her head in a bow. After finding the high school meal ticket that the thief had carelessly left behind, Fate had been feeling more than up to the challenge of infiltrating the small local high school, but now with numerous eyes trained on her, she was feeling slightly less than confident; social situations really weren't her thing. But, work was work. Taking a deep breath to gather herself, Fate looked up and smiled brightly.

"Nice to meet you all. My name is Fate Testarossa. I'll be in your care from today onward."

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**A/N- **

Things of note: I hate Aki. This is a supposed Birthday "gift" for Aki. Aki forced me to post. I fail at negotiations. Angst depresses me; writing fluff makes me feel like head-desking. I elected to go with semi-action AU writing instead. Obviously, this is not a one-shot. I do not know when/if I will post more. Feel free to flame; thanks for reading.


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